You're the Average

Happy Friday,

You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Habits, standards, and thinking patterns are contagious, and you caught most of yours from your closest five. That's worth pondering after you finish this, but let's move on...

It begs the question: should one be strategic about the five?

To accelerate your career in a desired direction, you'd start spending more time with the top people doing that thing.

To become a great leader, you'd seek and hang with more great leaders. Not titles, leaders.

For your organization to maximize its potential, you'd spend more time with people who've done exactly that, achieved extraordinary potential.

Spending time with the easy five, e.g., kind people who tell you what you like to hear, will keep you comfortable right where you are, which is fine if comfort and regular validation are what you're after.

As with all things, this all happens in the context of your one life and finite time. So if meaningful progress is your goal, then realize there's an opportunity cost to dawdling. There's always an opportunity cost to dawdling. A point worth internalizing...

Punchline: It seems we are indeed the average of the five people we spend the most time with, so it makes sense to at least be mindful about the five, if not intentionally strategic. This applies to everyone equally, intern and CEO. The right five people can introduce opportunity, cut years off the learning curve, and supercharge your career or business. It's true in career and in life. Something to think about...

Have a terrific, terrific weekend!

Dave

Feedback and blowback are always welcome: dave@goodnewsfriday.com

All previous topics are available at @goodnewsfriday.com

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